The Geared Up Giveaway is back! We're giving Geared Up subscribers the chance to win an Oculus Go headset. See the bottom of this post for details on how to enter the giveaway.

The VR hype is starting to get real. Just in the past two weeks, Facebook's Oculus launched the highly affordable and convenient Oculus Go while Lenovo debuted its more sophisticated by pricey Mirage Solo, both more convenient devices than their powerful but bulky predecessors. So how do the two new headsets compare? We've been testing them out and on this episode, we go hands-on with both devices to give our reviews.

Plus, we're offering Geared Up subscribers the chance to win an Oculus Go headset -- just subscribe to Geared Up in your favorite podcast app and use the widget at the bottom of the page to enter. In other news, Apple is facing a class-action lawsuit over the controversial MacBook keyboard and Microsoft announced a second generation of the Surface Hub, its huge wall-mounted PC. HP also made headlines this week with its announcement of several new laptops and desktops.

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Apple’s HomePod smart speaker is struggling in the competitive smart home market, according to a new report. What led to its demise, and what can Apple do to get back into the smart speaker game?

Plus, Amazon reveals how it assigns the preferred “Amazon’s Choice” label to products; Apple is rumored to be creating a subscription version of Apple News after its acquisition of digital magazine company Texture; and we look at how Xbox’s backward compatibility has become the console’s saving grace.

How should gadget fans think about privacy? Geared Up cohost Andru Edwards, for one, says growing concerns about data privacy will be a boon for Apple and other companies that don’t base their businesses on advertising revenue.

But doesn’t that mean you’re locked in to Apple’s ecosystem? “Yes – locked into greatness,” he says.

Welcome to our MEGA Smartphone Giveaway! We are giving away three of the best smartphones of 2017 to celebrate the end of the year, and this is your opportunity to walk away with an iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, and Google Pixel 2! Here is how it will work:

The first place winner gets to choose their pick from the 3 smartphones - iPhone X, Note 8, and Pixel 2

The second place winner gets to choose between the 2 that are left

The third place winner gets the remaining smartphone (The winner that chooses the iPhone may substitute an iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus instead of the iPhone X if they prefer)

Big shout out to Erica Griffin and David Cogen (The Unlockr) for teaming up with me on this giveaway! Good luck to all! Which phone would you pick if you won? Do the Pixel 2 cameras call your name? Are you all about Face ID with the iPhone X? The stylus of the Galaxy Note 8? Let me know!

Apple’s new MacBook Pro comes with an eye-catching feature, a Touch Bar across the top of the keyboard that replaces the function keys with virtual buttons and sliders that change in context, depending on which program or app you’re using at any given moment.

But starting at $1799 for a 13-inch model with Touch Bar, this is no small investment. So is the new MacBook Pro really worth it? Andru Edwards of Gear Live & Todd Bishop of GeekWire have a new MacBook Pro in-studio for this special GeekWire podcast and video segment to give us their take.

If you're looking for the best Black Friday 2016 deals for tech and gaming, I looked all over to find the best tech deals for Black Friday 2016 and I bring them to you in this video! I narrowed it down to great tech products like 4K TVs, Google Home, Xbox One bundles, and more - and then I also break it down by stores, including Target, Amazon, eBay, Best Buy, and Walmart. Any deals that are available online are linked below!

We are giving away two of the hottest smartphones on the planet right now - the iPhone 7 Plus and the Google Pixel XL! Each winner will get to choose whether they would like a 128GB iPhone 7 Plus, or a 128GB Google Pixel XL, and each winner will also get to choose the color that they'd like to receive. Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to stay up on all the latest tech reviews and gadget giveaways!

Big shout out to Candid for sponsorsing this giveaway - be sure to check out the video I did on Candid and their anonymous social networking app down below.

Enter to win using the Gleam widget below, and good luck to all who enter!

In a move that seemed to surprised everyone at today's iPhone 7 event, Nintendo announced that Mario was finally coming to iOS with a new game for the iPhone and iPad - Super Mario Run. The company is touting this as the first Mario game that you can play with one hand, and it'll be available for download in December.

During today's iPhone 7 event, Apple announced the new Apple Watch Series 2. The new Series 2 Watch is now swim proof, and can withstand depths of up to 50 meters. The display tech has been improved as well, with a 1,000 nit brightness level, and that's paired with the new S2 chip to provide more power to the Apple Watch. It's a dual-core chip that allows for 60 frames per second on your wrist. To keep up with sports watches, there's also a built-in GPS sensor which can work independently of Wi-Fi, so if you're out on a hike, your Watch Series 2 will work for you.

Apple also announced a new ceramic finish for the Apple Watch Series 2, which is a new addition and will sit alongside the Apple Watch Sport's aluminum finish and the stainless steel models.

Theres a new Apple Watch version as well, in the Apple Watch Nike+, which features a perforated Sport band. The Nike+ version of the Apple Watch includes software optimized for runners, including shortcuts for starting a run, custom motivation for runners, and more.

You'll be a ble to pick up the new Apple Watch Series 2 on September 16th, and it starts at $369. You can also pick up the original Apple Watch Series 1, which is updated with the new S2 chip, for $269.

During today's iPhone 7 event, Apple announced that iOS 10 will join watchOS 3 by rolling out to users on September 14th. Apple's latest mobile OS packs a bunch of new features to look forward to, including a more intelligent Siri, much more useful Lock screen, tosn of improvements to iMessage, Apple Music refinements, a new home automation app, and more.

Also coming along in iOS 10 is an overhauled Maps app that pulls in appointments and locations from your email, copy/paste history, calendar, and more.